SINN FEIN NEWS > >>>>>> FLASH: GOVTS MOVE TO RESTORE INSTITUTIONS BY MAY 22 > > > In a defining moment for the peace process, the British and Irish > governments announced tonight that the Northern Assembly and > Executive are to be restored by May 22, subject to a positive > response by the political parties. > > On February 11, Britain's governor in Ireland Peter Mandelson, > suspended the North's devolved power-sharing institutions and > reimposed direct rule from London. > > A joint statement by the two governments tonight declares the > governments' commitment to the full implementation of the 1998 > Good Friday Agreement by June of next year. > > It announces the existence of clear proposals implementing the > remaining aspects of the Good Friday Agreement, and urges the IRA > and loyalist organisations to "state clearly that they will put > their arms completely and verifiably beyond use". In response to > such a "reduction in the threat", the British government said it > would take substantial normalisation measures toward the > demilitarisation of the North of Ireland by June 2001. > > The announcement came shortly before midnight, after a long day > of talks in Belfast, involving the pro-Agreement political > parties and the Irish and British Prime Ministers. > > British premier Tony Blair said he hoped the arms issue would now > be dealt with "completely and verifiably". > > Mr Blair said: "It is now incumbent upon the parties and perhaps > in particular the paramilitary organisations that they respond to > these proposals that we have made. > > "We very much hope that response is positive and in particular we > can make sure the arms issue is dealt with completely and > verifiably." > > Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said he looked forward to the full > implementation of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and a "finality > to where we are at this stage". > > Mr Ahern said: "I hope that this will form the basis for the > institutions to be up and running by later this month." > > Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said it was a "very decisive > moment" in the peace process. He welcomed the governments' > decision to bring about the restoration of the institutions and > said he believed nationalists and republicans would welcome the > governments' commitments on human rights, equality, the Irish > language, demilitarisation and support for all the victims of the > conflict. > > He added: "It is also essential that we have a new policing > service which nationalists and Republicans can give their support > to and feel confident about joining." > > He spoke of the "many difficulties" that the change invoked by > the Good Friday Agreement presented for those locked into the > divisions and conflicts of the past. > > "But change is essential if there is to be real equality, real > democracy, real justice and the rights of people of this island > to be respected and valued. There must be no more second class > citizens." > > Mr Adams said it was now time to stand up for, and defend, the > Agreement. > > "I would urge all of those who voted yes in the referendum in May > 1998 to rally behind this initiative, support those political > leaders and parties who are striving for a new and better future > for our children and give it a fair wind in the time ahead." > > > There was no immediate statement from the Ulster Unionist Party. > > > The full text of joint governmental statement is as follows: > > > 1 In recent weeks the two governments have taken stock of > progress in implementing the Good Friday Agreement. > > 2 Much progress has already been made but there has been > disagreement over how and when implementation of remaining > aspects of the Agreement should be achieved. > > 3 The governments now believe that the remaining steps necessary > to secure full implementation of the agreement can be achieved by > June 2001, and commit themselves to that goal. They have drawn up > and are communicating to the parties, an account of these steps. > > 4 Subject to a positive response to this statement the British > government will bring forward the necessary order to enable the > Assembly to be restored by 22 May 2000. > > 5 With confidence that there are clear proposals for implementing > all other aspects of the Agreement, the government believe that > paramilitary organisations must now, for their part, urgently > state clearly that they will put their arms completely and > verifiably beyond use. Such statements would constitute a clear > reduction in the threat. In response, the British government > would, subject to its assessment of the level of threat at the > time, on which it will continue to consult regularly with the > Irish government, take further substantial normalisation measures > by June 2001. > > 6 The IICD (Independent International Commission on > Decommissioning) will continue its task under the Agreement. The > government will now ask the IICD to consider urgently, in > consultation with representatives of the paramilitary > organisations, whether there are any further proposals for > decommissioning schemes which offer the Commission greater scope > to proceed in more effective and satisfactory ways with the > discharge of its basic mandate and to report. The government will > give early consideration to any such proposals. The Commission > will make further reports as necessary. Those reports will be > published promptly by the two governments. > > 7 Progress to full implementation of all aspects of the Agreement > will be periodically assessed by the two governments, in > consultation with the Northern Ireland parties. > > 8 If difficulties arise in the implementation of the Agreement > (for example, the IICD reports that it does not believe that arms > will be put beyond use, or the institutions are not operating in > good faith as envisaged in the Agreement), the two governments > will, in consultation with the Assembly and the Executive, carry > out an immediate formal review under the terms of the Agreement. > > > > > > > c. RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > RM Distribution > Irish Republican News and Information > http://irlnet.com/rmlist/ > > PO Box 160, Galway, Ireland Phone/Fax: (353)1-6335113 > PO Box 8630, Austin TX 78713, USA mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > > RMD1000505202950p2 >
